Trailers are usually unpowered vehicles that are pulled by a powered tow vehicle. A trailer may be a utility trailer, a popup camper, a travel trailer, livestock trailer, flatbed trailer, enclosed car hauler, and boat trailer, among others. The tow vehicle may be a car, a crossover, a truck, a van, a sports-utility-vehicle (SUV), a recreational vehicle (RV), or any other vehicle configured to attach to the trailer and pull the trailer. The trailer may be attached to a powered vehicle using a trailer hitch. A receiver hitch mounts on the tow vehicle and connects to the trailer hitch to form a connection. The trailer hitch may be a ball and socket, a fifth wheel and gooseneck, or a trailer jack. Other attachment mechanisms may also be used. In addition to the mechanical connection between the trailer and the powered vehicle, in some example, the trailer is electrically connected to the tow vehicle. As such, the electrical connection allows the trailer to take the feed from the powered vehicle's rear light circuit, allowing the trailer to have taillights, turn signals, and brake lights that are in sync with the powered vehicle's lights.
Many vehicles are now provided with rear-facing cameras. Such cameras provide the driver with a view of what is behind the vehicle. When a vehicle is towing a trailer, however, a rear-facing camera's “view” is essentially obstructed. When a trailer is attached to a tow vehicle, knowing how the trailer will move in response to a steering wheel rotation when the vehicle and trailer are backed (moved in a reverse or backward direction) into a space can be problematic. A method and apparatus for providing a “bird's-eye” view of the trailer and its tow vehicle, which would show how the trailer will move in response to wheel movement without having to move the vehicles, would be an improvement over the prior art.